Johannesburg - The Central Firearms Registry’s turnaround is working, the SAPS head office said on Thursday.
Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said national commissioner General Riah Phiyega had appointed a new head for the unit three months ago, and the new team and their new strategy would go a long way to restoring public confidence in the unit.
“The head of the component and her team have already set new standards in the way firearm licences are issued, improving efficiency and preventing any potential for corruption,” Naidoo explained.
“It is now an open secret that the unit found itself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in the past. It was out of this and the genuine desire on the part of the SAPS to provide efficient and user-friendly service to the public that the strategy was mooted and finally implemented.”
The registry keeps track of the legal guns in the country and processes firearm licences.
Last week, the portfolio committee on police tabled in Parliament its report on its oversight visits late last year, including a visit in September to the Central Firearms Registry in Pretoria.
The committee’s report noted a range of problems with the registry, with staff overloaded with work and database problems.
The unit’s new head is Major-General Maropeng Johanna Mamotheti, and Naidoo described her as a dynamic leader with vast operational experience.
The registry processes about 12 000 gun licences a month. Naidoo said they now aim to finalise each application within 90 days.
The applicants should check the SAPS website for the licence requirements to make sure they have the right documents, and should note that there are different types of licences with different requirements, which would reduce delays, Naidoo advised.
“The team in the Central Firearms Registry section has gone all out to ensure that challenges bedevilling the unit will be a thing of the past,” he said.
“During its visits to the provinces since April, the team noted the challenges experienced and has, accordingly, put remedial measures in place to address them.
“It will soon meet all the provincial commanders to address the problems, while training of the designated firearm officers and the related staff will commence, with the shortage of resources also to be addressed.”
Naidoo said corruption problems were addressed by vetting key staff, rotating staff, separating functions, limiting access by some users, improving encryption and password controls, and implementing new corporate governance rules.
Phiyega said: “The proliferation of illegal firearms, past acts of malfeasance at the Central Firearms Registry and the need to encourage responsible ownership of firearms in our country are some of the reasons we worked so hard to clean up the mess in that unit and assemble a team of police officers whose integrity is unquestionable.”
The Star